Friday, May 25, 2007

Mumia Poster Party on Avenue A...

In keeping with the piece of sidewalk out front of Ray's Candystore being a major political protest hotbed in the times pictured above , some of the local Mumia supporters were making posters for several nights and days for the various protests of the government's intention to execute Mumia . Mumia's death sentence was finally overturned and since 1981 he has spent his time in prison serving a life sentence for shooting a police officer .

Whether guilty or innocent we do not know but for all these years efforts to both execute and free Mumia , a former minister of education of the Black Panther party , have continued unabated . Recently on May 17th , a 3 judge panel of the 3rd circuit Federal Court heard arguments arguing that Mumia's trial was unfair because of the predjudicial use by the judge of his power to peremptorially challenge the suitability of jurors . Whether in truth guilty or innocent , if predjudice is shown it would also be necessary to determine whether there should be a new trial . At the same time federal prosecutors are attempting to overturn the lifting of the death sentence .

As always the sideshow of protest goes on with the likes of Chomsky dialoguing and expounding on Mumia and law and order in America while at the other extreme some Philadelphia Republicans are attempting to sue the city of Paris for naming a street after Mumia . Some here at home , uptown , are also attempting to name a street in Harlem after Mumia .